Flexibility is the popular term for the ability to easily bend an object or the ability to adapt to different circumstances. In Physics, a physical body (sometimes called simply a body or even an object) is a collection of Masses taken to be one However, in various professional fields, more precise terms are used.

Materials

In materials science, the amount of deformation an object can be bent, twisted, lengthened or compressed due to a force or stress is called the strain. Materials Science or Materials Engineering is an interdisciplinary field involving the properties of matter and its applications to various areas of Science and In Materials science, deformation is a change in the shape or size of an object due to an applied force. Stress is a measure of the average amount of Force exerted per unit Area.

• Plasticity is a property of a material to undergo a non-reversible change of shape in response to an applied force.
• Elasticity is the ability to deform under stress (e. A material is said to be elastic if it deforms under stress (e g. , external forces), but then return to its original shape when the stress is removed.
• Ductility is the physical property of being capable of sustaining large plastic deformations without fracture (in metals, such as being drawn into a wire). Ductility is a mechanical property used to describe the extent to which materials can be deformed plastically or "stretched" into "wires" without
• Malleability means the material can easily be deformed, especially by hammering or rolling, without cracking or breaking. For malleability in Cryptography, see Malleability (cryptography.

Systems theory

In systems theory, which has applications in diverse fields including biology, ecology, psychology, economics, and management, the flexibility of a system is related to its adaptation to a new environment or its resilience in recovering from a shock or disturbance. Systems theory is an Interdisciplinary field of Science and the study of the nature of Complex systems in Nature, Society, and An adaptive system is a System that is able to adapt its behavior according to changes in its environment or in parts of the system itself An adaptation is a characteristic of an Organism that has been favored by Natural selection and In Computer networking “ Resilience is the ability to provide and maintain an acceptable level of service in the face of faults and challenges to Individuals within an organization also demonstrate flexibility with their ability to adapt to the environment or troubleshoot while in the field.

One example is the attribute of flexibility in engineering. Flexibility is used as an attribute of various types of Systems.

Physiology

In the physiology of vertebrates, including humans, the measurement of the achievable distance between the flexed position and the extended position of a particular joint or muscle group is called its "flexibility", but this is more properly called its range of motion or range of movement. Physiology (from Greek grc φύσις physis, "nature origin" and grc -λογία -logia) is the study of the mechanical physical A joint is the location at which two or more Bones make contact Range of motion or ( ROM) as used in the Biomedical and Weightlifting communities is the measurement of the achievable distance between the flexed position In this sense, the flexibility of a joint depends on many factors, particularly the length and looseness of the muscles and ligaments due to normal human variation, and the shape of the bones and cartilage that make up the joint. Muscle (from Latin musculus, diminutive of mus "mouse" is contractile tissue of the body and is derived from the In Anatomy, the term ligament is used to denote three different types of structures Fibrous tissue that connects Bones to other bones Bones are rigid organs that form part of the Endoskeleton of Vertebrates They function to move support and protect the various organs of the body produce Cartilage is a type of dense Connective tissue. It is composed of specialized cells called chondrocytes that produce a large amount of extracellular matrix

Flexibility, or suppleness, is also a more generalized term used to compare the relative range of motion of all joints of an individual with a standard. The ability to achieve a full range of movements – to turn, stretch, twist and bend – without any stiffness, aching or suffering a spine or joint injury is defined as suppleness.

Medical conditions such as arthritis can decrease flexibility, while Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome can increase flexibility. Arthritis (from Greek arthro-, joint + -itis, inflammation plural arthritides is a group of conditions involving damage to the Joints of the body Ehlers-Danlos syndrome is a group of rare Genetic disorders affecting humans caused by a defect in Collagen synthesis Exercise increases the amount of flexibility in a joint, while decreasing the amount of resistance. Different sports have different flexibility requirements, which can be increased further through training and practice of the sport. A person training for gymnastics would develop more flexibility than a shot put thrower.

Those who practice gymnastics (especially rhythmic gymnastics), dance, figure skating, martial arts, body toning, yoga, cheerleading and contortion rely on functional flexibility (increased range of motion with strength and control) to perform their actions. Gymnastics is a Sport involving performance of exercises requiring physical strength agility and coordination Rhythmic gymnastics is a sport in which single competitors or pairs trios or even more (generally five manipulate one or two apparatus rope, hoop, ball Dance (from French danser, perhaps from Frankish) is an Art form that generally refers to movement of the body usually rhythmic Figure skating is an athletic Sport in which individuals pairs or groups perform spins, jumps, footwork and other intricate and challenging Martial arts are systems of codified practices and traditions of training for Combat. Yoga ( Sanskrit: योग, IAST: yóga, joːgə refers to traditional physical and mental disciplines originating in India, to the Cheerleading is a Sport that uses organized routines made from elements of Tumbling, Dance, jumps and stunting to direct spectators of events Contortion (sometimes contortionism) is an unusual form of physical display which involves the dramatic bending and flexing of the Human body.

A gymnast stretching to increase flexibility.

Relative flexibility

Since muscles which go through growth in size but not in length, when one muscle grows through hypertrophy its opposite side muscle (the antagonist) will have to lengthen, and absolute flexibility is the term to describe a muscle's length, in and of itself, where relative flexibility is the flexibility of a joint, as compared to its antagonistic movement^[1].

For example, the calf muscle extends the foot towards the ground (plantarflexion) and the shin muscle flexes the foot in the opposite direction (dorsiflexion). The calf or gastroc-soleus is a pair of Muscles mdashthe gastrocnemius and soleus &mdashat the back of the lower Human leg. Plantarflexion is the movement which increases the angle between the Foot and the Leg, as when depressing an Automobile pedal. In human anatomy the tibialis anterior is a Muscle in the shin that spans the length of the Tibia. Dorsiflexion is the movement which decreases the angle between the foot and the leg so that the toes are brought closer to the shin If a person's calf is overly strong it will not be as flexible as the opposite shin muscle, and plantarflexion will be exhibit relatively inflexible as compared to dorsiflexion using the person's weaker, but more flexible shin muscle. Tonic in physiology refers to a Muscle which is predominantly toned.

References

1. ^ "Back to the Basics for the New Year", by Paul Chek